need help with file types

sfaa69sfaa69 Posts: 353
edited December 1969 in Daz Studio Discussion

Due to a dumb mistake on my part, I had to reinstall content into Studio on a massive basis. In trying to straighten things out so I can find them, I realized I don't know what all the file extensions mean. Is there someplace to go to find out the difference in files with extensions like .duf, dsa, dsb, dsf, ? I am used to the extensions used with Poser and older versions of Studio, but it seems like 4.5 introduces a whole raft of new ones.

Comments

  • fixmypcmikefixmypcmike Posts: 19,565
    edited December 1969

    4.5 introduced one new file type, .duf (can be scenes, scene subsets, objects, or presets), for user-facing files, reserving .dsf for data files (although it will still read and display .dsf files in the library)
    4.0 introduced one new type, .dsf (see above)
    3.0 introduced .dsa (plain text scripts) and .dse (encrypted binary scripts)
    .daz (scene files), .ds (plain text scripts) and .dsb (binary scripts, may or may not be encrypted) go back to the beginning of DAZ Studio.

  • BusterBuster Posts: 0
    edited May 2013

    sfaa69 said:
    Due to a dumb mistake on my part, I had to reinstall content into Studio on a massive basis. In trying to straighten things out so I can find them, I realized I don't know what all the file extensions mean. Is there someplace to go to find out the difference in files with extensions like .duf, dsa, dsb, dsf, ? I am used to the extensions used with Poser and older versions of Studio, but it seems like 4.5 introduces a whole raft of new ones.

    There is an excellent explanation found at: Understanding Content File Types

    Hope it helps you as much as it did me.

    Don

    Post edited by Buster on
  • MythmakerMythmaker Posts: 606
    edited October 2013

    The article turned out to be Jan 2008, and said nothing about .duf.

    Didn't want to start a new topic on a potentially minor issue. So I post this .duf vs .dsa question here.

    I'm a 4.5 Pro Daz-only Genesis-only user.

    I just noticed I have TWO of the same content file displayed under Parameter/ Shaping/ Posing Panes: Presets. One .duf, one .dsa.

    Questions

    - if it's an installation mistake (had DIM reinstall everything yesterday), how should I properly delete the extra file? Presumably I should keep the newer .duf, and delete the .dsa ?

    - if it's the way it's supposed to be, why do I need two files for the same job?

    Thanks for any help.

    dufdsf.JPG
    579 x 532 - 77K
    Post edited by Mythmaker on
  • Richard HaseltineRichard Haseltine Posts: 96,191
    edited December 1969

    Either you installed an older version and then an update or you installed both the "legacy" and the "core" versions or it has both file types. The .dsa are for versions of DS before 4.5, the .duf files are for the newer version. Everything saved from DS 4.5 or later is a .duf file by deault (not counting renders and exported files intended for other applications, nor the thumbnails).

  • fixmypcmikefixmypcmike Posts: 19,565
    edited December 1969

    The easiest way to clean it up is probably putting "Legacy" in the search box in DIM -- you'll have to check carefully, as there are products with the word Legacy in them (West Park Legacy comes to mind), but the majority of them will be Legacy versions of products that have separate .duf versions. For the future, make sure your Download Filters in DIM only has DS4.5 selected.

  • MythmakerMythmaker Posts: 606
    edited December 1969

    Ok. You're right I installed the Legacy version of Expressives too. I should uninstall all Legacy versions from DIM. Also uncheck all pre-4.5 Daz inside DIM filter. Weird, thought I unchecked all non-applicables earlier. Maybe the DIM filter update I installed 2 days ago gave the extras. But no matter. Solved. Thanks again Richard and fixmypcmike.

  • NovicaNovica Posts: 23,859
    edited December 1969

    That article tells if it is DAZ or Poser, but not a clue as to what is what- such as cr2, pz2, pp2, mc6, lt2 (I think it's an l)

    And trx- is for DSON content- so the DSON is the Poser importer, it may be labeled DSON Core, so DAZ Studio users do NOT need any trx's?

  • JaderailJaderail Posts: 0
    edited November 2013

    Does this help? Poser Formats.

    CR2 files are character rigging files. These files contain information about the joints and bones of a figure- where it bends and how much. They also may contain information about morphs that are built into the figure. CR2 files are found in subfolders within the Characters folder inside the libraries folder, which is inside the Runtime folder. Compressed CR2 files have the extension CRZ.

    PZ2 files are pose files. They contain information about joint angles, body position and morph values and are applied to figures and props in scenes to control their actions. Poses may contain sequences of actions of varying lengths. PZ2 files are found in subfolders within the Pose folder inside the libraries folder. If compressed, they have the P2Z extension.
    NOTE: The PZ2 file format has also been used to manage other aspects of Poser scenes. Two common types of pose file are MAT poses, which apply and change image maps and surface materials, and injection morph files, which add or remove new morphs to figures in a scene. These pose files are also found in the Pose directory but typically don't contain pose data.

    PP2 files are prop files. They often contain geometry data (although they may only contain a reference to an OBJ file containing geometry information) and are stored in subfolders within the Props folder within libraries inside the Runtime. Compressed prop files have the extension
    PPZ.

    MC5 and MC6 files are material files. These contain information used by Poser's render engines (especially the Firefly engine) and are only accessible from the Library within the Material Room, unlike MAT poses, which can be used in the Pose Room (but which don't allow the breadth of effect that material collections provide.) They can be found in subfolders inside the Material folder in the libraries folder within the Runtime folder. Compressed material files have the extension MCZ.

    HR2 files are hair files. These may be either strand-based or transparency-mapped hair, and can be found in subfolders inside the Hair folder in the libraries folder within the Runtime folder. Compressed hair files have the extension HRZ.

    LT2 files are light set files. These contain lights- spotlights, distant lights, and (in Poser 6) point lights or image-based lights as well. They can be found in subfolders inside the Lights folder in the libraries folder within the Runtime folder. Compressed light files have the extension LTZ.

    CM2 files are camera set files. These contain camera positions for the various cameras that Poser uses. They can be found in the Camera Sets folder in the Camera folder inside the libraries folder within the Runtime folder. Compressed camera files have the extension CMZ.

    FC2 files are face pose files. These contain morph data for facial poses (expressions and phonemes.) They can be found in subfolders inside the Face folder in the libraries folder within the Runtime folder. Compressed face files have the extension FCZ.

    HD2 files are hand pose files. These contain pose data specific to figures' hands. They can be found in subfolders inside the Hand folder in the libraries folder within the Runtime folder. Compressed hand pose files have the extension HDZ.

    PZ3 files are Poser Scene Files. This is the File when you save the Poser Scene you are working on.

    Post edited by Jaderail on
  • NovicaNovica Posts: 23,859
    edited December 1969

    Thanks. I AM going through the search function and trying to round this stuff up in one place, have added this thread to my reference links. Also, this is what you guys helped me with October 22nd that has fixmypcmike's explanation when I was trying to do my content and didn't know how the studio was organized. Appreciate it, I'm going to jot this all down. :)

    http://www.daz3d.com/forums/discussion/31055/#460178

  • NovicaNovica Posts: 23,859
    edited November 2013

    WHEN YOU SAID THIS:
    "NOTE: The PZ2 file format has also been used to manage other aspects of Poser scenes. Two common types of pose file are MAT poses, which apply and change image maps and surface materials, and injection morph files, which add or remove new morphs to figures in a scene. These pose files are also found in the Pose directory but typically don’t contain pose data."

    does that paragraph refer only to people using Poser?

    Post edited by Novica on
  • NovicaNovica Posts: 23,859
    edited December 1969

    The way you're describing the MC6 it seems like it can only be used in Poser- but previously in the thread it was listed as D Studio?

  • BejaymacBejaymac Posts: 1,835
    edited December 1969

    Novica said:
    The way you're describing the MC6 it seems like it can only be used in Poser- but previously in the thread it was listed as D Studio?

    DS4 can see the MC6 files, but there is usually very little in them that DS can use, it can only read the old Poser 4 surface settings part of the material, the Poser 5+ shader tree section of the material is ignored by DS as it's a shader system it can't use.

    TBH all Poser 5+ materials are pretty useless in DS, even the ones in CR2s.

  • ChoholeChohole Posts: 33,604
    edited November 2013

    Bejaymac said:
    *snipped*

    TBH all Poser 5+ materials are pretty useless in DS, even the ones in CR2s.

    That is not true, actually. Many just need some small tweaks. It is only if they are completely constructed using nodes in the Poser mat room that they are going to be useless in DS. Anything that has a jpg base, which is actually most Poser textures really, will work but may need a few tweaks to make them of optimum quality in DS.

    Post edited by Chohole on
  • Richard HaseltineRichard Haseltine Posts: 96,191
    edited December 1969

    chohole said:
    Bejaymac said:
    *snipped*

    TBH all Poser 5+ materials are pretty useless in DS, even the ones in CR2s.

    That is not true, actually. Many just need some small tweaks. It is only if they are completely constructed using nodes in the Poser mat room that they are going to be useless in DS. Anything that has a jpg base, which is actually most Poser textures really, will work but may need a few tweaks to make them of optimum quality in DS.

    The problem is that DS ignores the shader tree section, so there's nothing done with the Poser 5+ settings - just the base settings that would have been read by Poser 4/PoserProPack. Usaully that's OK, but it's not unknown for the base materials to be so heavily modified by stuff in the shader tree that they are completely useless - and there's certainly no benefit in using the P5+ settings rather than the older settings, if there are any.

  • fixmypcmikefixmypcmike Posts: 19,565
    edited December 1969

    Novica said:

    And trx- is for DSON content- so the DSON is the Poser importer, it may be labeled DSON Core, so DAZ Studio users do NOT need any trx's?

    No, DSON is the DS4.5 file format (.duf). It can also be used with DSON Importer, but it's the best format to use for DS4.5+

  • BejaymacBejaymac Posts: 1,835
    edited December 1969

    chohole said:
    Bejaymac said:
    *snipped*

    TBH all Poser 5+ materials are pretty useless in DS, even the ones in CR2s.

    That is not true, actually. Many just need some small tweaks. It is only if they are completely constructed using nodes in the Poser mat room that they are going to be useless in DS. Anything that has a jpg base, which is actually most Poser textures really, will work but may need a few tweaks to make them of optimum quality in DS.

    The problem is that DS ignores the shader tree section, so there's nothing done with the Poser 5+ settings - just the base settings that would have been read by Poser 4/PoserProPack. Usaully that's OK, but it's not unknown for the base materials to be so heavily modified by stuff in the shader tree that they are completely useless - and there's certainly no benefit in using the P5+ settings rather than the older settings, if there are any.

    "Nods in agreement"

    Wouldn't be the first time I've found a Poser material that doesn't have any texture info in the Poser 4 surface settings, as a result all you get is a diffuse colored mesh, that's why I can spend ages in ShaderMixer trying to replicate the Poser shader, and that's despite me being thick as a brick when it comes to maths.

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